


Every Saturday Morning

by croissantbleu



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Dan Howell has ADHD, Editor Phil Lester, Fluff, Follow your dreams kids, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Lawyer Dan Howell, M/M, Piano, Strangers to Lovers, Tags Contain Spoilers, Texting, Writer Phil Lester, and all that goes with it, based on my own experience with adhd, kind of, mention of parents issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-02 00:04:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19187923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/croissantbleu/pseuds/croissantbleu
Summary: Dan's life was uneventful, working at a law firm, trying (and failing) to stay on top of his work despite his ADHD getting in the way, and playing the piano on Saturdays.But things changed when he found a phone number in a book, and finds someone who makes him want to follow his dreams.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> well look who’s back! It’s been such a long time since I’ve posted anything I’m very sorry, but here I am with a new chaptered fic! It’ll be quite a short one, but I think the rhythm works better with chapters. There will be five chapters, posted on Wednesdays and Saturdays! I hope you’ll like it, please let me know what you think!

Dan hated his job. That wasn't anything new, he'd barely made his way through law school with his will to live somewhat intact, but working at an actual law firm didn't prove any better. Granted, he had quite a small position so far, even after three years working there, but he didn't really think that mattered. It seemed to him that the piles of work to do and cases to review were piling up without ever giving him a second to breathe. Maybe that wasn't helped by his tendency to put things off until the very last second, leading to sleepless nights to try and catch up on the delay he'd caused. And he knew that wasn't very healthy behaviour, that he was tiring himself out way too quickly, but he didn't want to think about the day it would all come back to bite him. He couldn’t help it anyway.

Today was no different, but he was going to be in big trouble the next day if he didn't bring the research and documents he had been supposed to work on for the last three days, so he really should be looking over all this paperwork. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. No matter how much he wanted to open the file on his laptop, it just seemed like his body wouldn't move. 

Instead, he found himself reaching out for a book on the side of the desk, one that he'd bought at the flea market that popped up ever Sunday down the street, and that he had been putting off reading for a while, for no real reason. It was a sci-fi book, and the cover looked intriguing, so Dan turned to the first pages. He noticed something scribbled below the text, and realized when he looked closer that it was a phone number. He shrugged, and kept on reading. He liked getting second hand books, because they'd already had a life, and he could never really know what to expect. 

 

 

Dan was getting annoyed. It was a good book, he could feel the interest the story was creating and he wanted to know more, yet he just… couldn’t keep going, couldn’t focus on the words when his left hand was playing invisible piano keys on the desk and his mind kept wandering off. He tossed the book aside, frustration growing in his chest, and started to shake his hands, trying to get rid of the tingling sensation running from the tips of his fingers to his elbows, feeling that he needed to do  _ something  _ but he didn’t know  _ what _ . Moving his arms fast enough seemed to do the trick, sometimes, offering enough resistance to the air to feel it coursing over his skin like a feather. He shook his head and brought his arms down, forcing his hands to stay still on the desk. Now he wasn’t making any sense. 

Maybe he just needed a distraction from everything spinning in his mind so, before he could think about it, he reached out for the book on the floor and typed in his phone the number displayed on the front page, writing and sending a text before his sense of reason had time to kick in. He regretted as soon as it did, just one second too late, and nearly swore out loud. Impulsive decisions were never good. He stared at his words for a moment, the letters seemingly mocking him.

_ “Hey stranger, seems like the book I’m reading used to be yours. What did you think of it?” _

Yeah, that had been a dumb move. Guilt was creeping up his spine, and he’d already have sent an apology if he didn’t think it would bother them more. He didn’t even expect a reply, yet he could feel the guilt and shame growing heavier with every minute at the thought that he really just managed to make a stranger hate him. Somewhere deep down he knew that wasn’t a rational way of looking at things, that it was the rejection sensitive dysphoria talking and clouding his judgement, but that didn’t help much. If anything, it made things worse, knowing that his reaction was so disproportionate to the situation without being able to do anything about it. 

He had to move, get his mind off it somehow. He would've tried anything, really, but he realized he was actually quite hungry. That was good timing, he thought as he got up from his chair and walked to the kitchen, trying to focus on what he could make that would be edible. 

*

He’d ended up working, somehow, miraculously managing to focus on the documents in front of him while he ate the noodles he’d made earlier. He’d forgotten about the text entirely, too invested in the work. These moments were rare, too rare for his productivity rate anyway, and he intended to make the most of it. 

He looked up suddenly, to realize that three hours had passed already and the noodles he’d pushed aside were ice cold. He sighed. It was getting late anyway, and he was pretty much caught up with what he needed to do. Maybe it was time to call it a day. He stifled a yawn, confirming his thoughts. He still had work the next day - or well, later this morning, he thought, glancing at the clock indicating two in the morning. He put all the documents in order and grabbed his phone, plugging it in without checking if he’d received anything.

*

Mornings were hard. Waking up every day to do something he hated never got any easier but he still felt like he couldn’t complain, nevermind how much it made him feel miserable. People had it so much worse than him. He forced himself up, mindlessly unlocking his phone, and his heart dropped when he saw he had a new text, hands shaking slightly as he opened it.

_ “Hey yourself, stranger. Wasn’t expecting that tbh, but if you’re talking about Sleeping Giants then I liked it very much and I highly recommend it! I’m only assuming it’s this one because I don’t think I wrote my number on any other book, but I thought I erased it from this one. Oh well! Maybe it was destiny” _

Dan smiled, relieved, and quickly typed an answer before getting ready. He was going to be late.

_ “Oh good, I really thought you’d hate me for just texting you out of the blue, I tend to make a lot of bad impulsive decisions when I’m stressed. And yeah, that’s the book, it looks very cool. Excited to read it when I have a second where I don’t have work. Oh, and I’m Dan by the way, thought you deserved to know who was the random person texting you.” _

He hadn’t received a reply before he got to the office, and he didn’t get a second to himself until his lunch break when he could finally sit heavily on a bench outside and sigh. It was still quite chilly outside, but it beat staying in the office anyday. It felt like he was finally able to breathe. He took his sandwich out and checked his phone.

_ “Oh no, no problem! You caught me at a busy time but that’s all! And I hope you’re less stressed now then! I mean, at least your impulse decision was just texting me, you could’ve decided to buy something you couldn’t afford, so that’s not so bad. At least it’s free! That’s always something. And my name’s Phil! Nice to meet you.” _

Dan really wasn’t sure why either of them kept replying, acting as if this was a normal situation. He wasn’t an expert, but he figured it wasn’t exactly common. He wasn’t sure he really cared, though, it was a welcome change from a routine he felt trapped in. 

_ “I wouldn’t say less stressed, honestly, I’m just navigating from one stressful situation to the other. Guess that comes with doing a job you hate huh? But hey, it’s nice to meet you too, Phil.” _

Phil’s reply was quick this time.

_ “Oh no, sorry to hear that! It’s not too late to find something you love and do that instead, you know? It’s worth giving it a try. No job is worth being miserable because of it.” _

_ “Easier said than done.” _

_ “Hey, if I’ve found my dream job, so can you!” _

Dan didn’t reply. It was a nice thought, but he didn’t want to give himself false hopes. Anything else he tried would probably not work out, and then he’d be screwed. Maybe working in a law firm wasn’t  _ that  _ bad. At least the pay was half decent, and it made his parents proud, which wasn’t something he was good at. He stood up and went back to work.


	2. Chapter 2

Saturday morning came around quickly, and before he knew it he was walking in the same café he’d spent his Saturday mornings for the past four or five months. He walked up to the counter, avoiding people’s eyes and looking for Sam. He spotted him after a few minutes, and waved at him. Sam smiled, walking over.

“Hey,” Dan smiled back.

He’d known Sam for years, way before he opened this place. He didn’t know how he had put up with him for so long, but he was grateful. Sam was a good guy, and the only real friend he had. 

“Ready?”

Dan took a deep breath. “Yeah.”

He walked to the piano in the corner, and sat down. He rested his fingers on the keys for a second, before taking the leap. The first notes were exhilarating, the melody of Starlight, by Muse, filling in the room, movements he knew by heart taking over his mind and soothing him immediately. 

He looked up briefly, and for a second, his eyes fell on the same guy that had been there every sunday morning as long as Dan had starting playing here, with his black hair and blue eyes that seemed to pierce into Dan’s every time. He focused back on the piano, trying to ignore the warmth in his cheeks that had suddenly appeared. That happened every time, too, and Dan would feel stupid if he wasn’t actively pushing it all back to the back of his mind and pretending nothing was happening.

He kept playing for a while, carrying on with other Muse songs and losing sense of time. He had never replied to Phil, he realized, and he didn’t know if he felt bad because that was rude or because he missed him a little bit. That was stupid too, missing someone he’d only talked to for a day, but it had been… nice, talking to someone new without the fear of looking stupid or stumbling on his words.

He stood up when he was done, smiling shyly at the few people who had been listening, and made his way back to the counter, where Sam brought him his usual blue tea without him even having to ask.

“Thanks,” Dan said, cradling the cup in his hands.

“Sure,” Sam smiled. “That was really good, like always,” he added. “There are more people when you’re here, you know?”

Dan groaned in disbelief. “You always say that.”

“And you never believe me,” Sam smiled wider. “Ah, I’ll be back,” he said, quickly walking towards other customers.

There was a feeling on Dan’s back, as if someone was watching him, and when he glanced over his shoulder, he caught these blue eyes he’d learned to recognize, quickly averting their gaze. Dan turned back to his tea, and took out his phone to text Phil.

_ “hey, sorry I didn’t reply. Kind of a touchy subject I guess? hope you still don’t hate me x” _

The “x” was a typo, but he’d sent the message before realizing, and now he was regretting his entire life. Maybe if he wished hard enough, the ground would open underneath him and swallow him, putting him out of his misery. He was almost scared to open Phil’s reply.

_ “Of course I don’t! I just assumed you were busy. I’ve been busy too, to be honest, so I’m not sure it would’ve made a big difference if you did reply. We can always talk about something else, if you want?” _

_ “Sure, I’d like that.” _

He had barely pressed ‘send’ when Sam leaned in, clearly trying to read the screen.

“Hey, who’s that?”

“Nobody,” Dan answered quickly, too quickly. “I mean- someone from work. Just… asking me about a file. Nothing interesting.”

Sam raised an eyebrow.

“You’re answering work texts on a Sunday?”

“Well, yeah, it’s a, uh, a big file. Has to be ready for tomorrow morning, this kind of thing, you know? It was just about a detail anyway,” he had a little laugh, before drinking his tea to stop himself from talking more nonsense.

He could see that Sam was far from convinced but, thankfully, he didn’t insist. He had never been good at keeping things from him, so he knew he would’ve ended up telling him everything if he had been just a little persistent, and he didn’t think he would’ve really approved of him texting random people whose number he found in a book. Yeah, he would never hear the end of it, and Sam had enough laughing material on him for his liking. He’d rather not give him more. He looked down at his screen and bit back a smile.

_ “Works for me! So, Dan, what is it you like to do? There has to be something. Unless it’s murdering people, in which case I think I’d rather not know.” _

*

They'd been talking more and more as days went on, with Dan taking every opportunity he saw to send him a text, nearly getting in trouble for being on his phone two or three times. He'd gotten stealthier now, after two weeks, but it was still close sometimes. During work times, they mostly sent each other memes, which has seemed like a good idea when Dan initiated the first meme battle between them, because it took less time than actually typing words and sentences, but he quickly realized his mistake when he had to leave the room a few times before bursting out laughing in front of the others. That would have been bad for him.

But it did make the days almost bearable, and that was enough for him. 

Sometimes, though, he wished he could talk to him. Well, they talked, but he would have liked to properly  _ talk _ , being able to hear his voice and maybe see his face. Phil was nice, he was so nice that Dan didn't quite understand how he was real, the kind of kindness he knew was absolutely genuine. Maybe it was stupid, but he felt like he could trust him with everything.

He hoped Phil felt the same way, but he doubted it. Dan was annoying, overbearing, forgetting to reply for hours but panicking if Phil didn't reply right away. He knew all that, like he knew he wasn't interesting to talk to. He had nothing to say, there was never anything of importance in his life. All he did was go to work, go home, and talk to Phil. He hadn't told him about the Saturday mornings, though, he wasn't sure why. Maybe he was worried he'd think it was dumb, or maybe he'd want to come see him and Dan was very scared of that. More scared than he'd want to admit. He liked what he had with Phil, maybe the beginning of a friendship, but he knew he'd screw it up if they met. And, to be honest, he didn't know what he would do if that happened. It was stupid, really, being so attached to someone he'd known for less than a month, but that was just how it was.

It was laughable at this point, really, but there was nothing he could do about it. And he didn't want to think about his life going back to how it was without Phil, even worse this time because he would know what he had lost.

He wasn't good at dealing with feelings, never had been. He didn't understand what they meant or what to do with them, and new ones he wasn't used to were always the worst. He could deal with disappointment, with fear and anger, with the deep fatigue that settled in his bones when he didn't get any sleep for too long and that the world felt like such a terrible place. He hadn't been used to hope for a long time, he didn’t know what that hope was for. He didn’t understand the warmth in his chest when Phil replied to him, or the weird feeling of pride when he knew he had made him laugh.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by his phone buzzing, a text from Phil but, instead of reading it, he called Sam. And he told him everything, from when they started talking to the strange feelings whirling around his mind. Sam listened, patiently, until he was done. 

“You're an idiot,” he simply said, but Dan could hear the affection in his voice. 

“I know that, you're not helping,” he whined. “I don't know what to do.”

“Nothing. You've run a hundred scenarios in your head, but you've forgotten the possibility that everything will be  _ fine _ .”

Dan rolled his eyes. “Yeah, because things tend to turn out fine for me, right.”

“Come on,” Sam's voice was calm. “Think about it. What's the worst that could happen?” 

“Uh, he could realize he hates me and decides to never talk to me again. Did you listen to anything I-”

“How likely do you think that actually is?” Sam interrupted him. 

Dan thought about it for a second, biting his lip. 

“Not very likely,” he admitted. “Phil's too nice for that. He'd tell me if something was wrong, so we could try to fix it.”

“There you go,” Sam said softly. “Well done.”

“Thank you,” Dan said, relief washing over him. “I… thanks.” 

“Sure thing,” and Dan knew he was smiling. “I'm here if you need anything, okay? You'll be just fine.”

“I know,” Dan was the one smiling this time. “I know.”

They chatted for a few more minutes before hanging up, and Dan opened Phil's text. 

_ “Hey, so I was thinking, maybe it'd be nice to call someday? If and when you're up for it, and of course there's no pressure. Just thought it could be fun!”  _

Dan smiled.

_ “Yeah, that would be nice. Not right now, but I'd like that.” _


	3. Chapter 3

Saturday mornings always were a welcome break from the whirlwind of the week. He liked hanging out with Sam, and he was grateful that he let him practice at the café, because he definitely didn’t have any other opportunity to do so. And he liked it there, liked the simple routine, that he always knew what to expect. 

So when someone came up to him after he played that Saturday, he didn’t know how to react.

He heard someone say hi behind him, and turned around to suddenly be looking into two blue eyes he knew so well.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” blue eyes crinkling up when he smiled were almost enough for Dan to forget how to speak.

“Oh no, no, it’s fine, I just, uh, didn’t hear you approach,” he said quickly, ignoring the burning in his ears.

The man's smile just widened. “Anyway, I just wanted to say, I’ve seen you play a few times here and really impressed every time, you play beautifully.”

Dan’s cheeks felt dangerously warm and he let out a nervous laugh. 

“Oh, uh, th-thank you? I mean it’s nothing, really, I’m not that good."

"Well, I think you are," the guy never stopped smiling, did he? "Anyway, I won't bother you any longer, I just wanted to say that. I guess I'll see you next week?" he added, leaving before Dan had a chance to reply. 

He turned back to face the counter and tried to hide his blush by taking a sip of his tea. He failed spectacularly. 

*

Dan pushed away the documents he was working on and grabbed his phone, typing quickly. 

_ “Hey, are you busy?” _

It was just a few days after he’d talked to the guy at the café and he hadn’t been able to focus at all lately. His mind just kept going back to Phil, and he couldn’t quite figure out why but his work productivity was back to being dangerously low. His phone buzzed in his hand.

_ “Nope, why?” _

_ “Still up for that call you mentioned?” _

_ “Of course! Just give me a second.” _

Dan wasn't as anxious as he thought he would be, he was nervous, sure, but also excited. This felt like the next step, like he was getting to know Phil better. He jumped a little when his phone started ringing, taking a deep breath before answering. 

“Hi?”

“Dan, hey! Nice to talk to you,” Phil said, and his voice was vaguely familiar to Dan, but he couldn't quite place it. 

“Nice to talk to you too,” he smiled. “Hope I’m not bothering you?”

“No, not at all!” Phil rushed to reassure him. “I was just finishing up some work.”

“You know,” Dan said, “I don’t think I know what you work in.”

“Oh, you’re right! Guess it never came up,” Phil chuckled and Dan was feeling so at ease it seemed like they’d done this dozens of times. “I’m a writer and editor. Well, mostly editor, but I’m working on my second book.”

“Really? That’s awesome! I had no idea,” Dan had a wide smile on his lips. “You’re living the dream, man.”

Phil laughed.

“Yeah, I got lucky. Caught an editing job on a small film when I was about ready to give up and look for another career.”

“How did the writing thing came in, then?”

“Ah, I guess I’ve always liked writing stories? Editing gave me enough time to actually think about writing a real novel, and it took me three years but I did it. I found a publisher that I liked who was interested in it and, tadaaa! I got very lucky on that too.”

“It’s not just luck at this point,” Dan smiled. “I’d love to read that book, I’m curious now.”

Phil chuckled. “Maybe I’ll send you a copy someday.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“What about you? I mean, I know you don’t like your job, but what would you like to do?”

Dan thought about it for a second. “If I could do anything?”

“Sure.”

“I’d love to be a piano player,” he smiled. “A professional one, I mean. Or an actor, I guess? Theatre actor, not movies or anything. I definitely am not good enough for either, though. I want to… I want to create something, you know? Not just looking over files and cases and working for people who don’t even look at you when they tell you what to do. I want to do something that’s  _ mine _ , where I can express myself how I want to.”

Phil stayed silent for a moment, so Dan started talking again, paradoxically hiding his worry of bothering him behind more rambling.

“I have ADHD, you know, it makes it so difficult to force myself to do something I don’t want to do, or that I don’t really care about. I mean, it’s making it difficult to do just about anything really, that’s the fun of executive dysfunction, but it’s a lot easier to focus on a hyperfixation, like the piano. Or acting. I mean, it would probably be more manageable if I had meds for it but I just never called my doctor back and now it’s probably too late. I’m sorry, I’m talking too much again.”

He bit his lip to force himself to go quiet, the creeping feeling of guilt climbing up his spine.

“Hey, Dan,” Phil said, and there was something soft in his voice that soothed Dan’s worries almost immediately. “It’s fine, I promise. And, for the record, I think you should go for it. I’ve never heard you play, or seen you act, but if you’re so passionate about it, then I think it’s worth a shot.”

“Really? But… what if it doesn’t work out?”

“I know it’s a scary step, but it could be the one that gets you to a better place.” Dan couldn’t help but scoff. “I’m serious, Dan. You deserve to be happy.”

Dan found himself fumbling for words. “I- uh- I mean, uh, thanks? But there’s more than that, I…” he paused. “My parents. They’d be so disappointed, I don’t… want to deal with that.”

He felt pathetic.

“Dan,” Phil’s voice was calm and patient. “This is about you, not about anyone else. You can’t let other people determine your life.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Dan sighed. “Doesn’t make it easy.”

“I know. Promise me you’ll at least think about?”

“Yeah,” he smiled. “Okay. I can do that.”

*

Saturday mornings were making him confused. The guy with blue eyes was confusing him. He hadn't tried to talk to him again but he was giving him bright smiles whenever he glanced at him, and it was making Dan more flustered than he'd like to admit, and after three weeks of this, he didn't know what to do with himself. It wasn't just that, though, there was also the fact that he couldn't stop thinking about Phil, especially when he played. They'd been texting even more than usual, calling each other every evening, and Dan found that he really liked feeling like Phil was right next to him when they were both cooking at the same time while on the phone. 

He tried not to think about it, tried not to think about his heart fluttering when he saw Phil's name on the call screen, about the warmth that spread across his chest when he heard his laugh, about the hours-long calls that lasted well into the night and during which one of them had fallen asleep more than one. He tried not to think about it, but there was nothing he could do when he was playing, and all the thoughts came whirling in his mind along with the notes in the air, and he felt like he was falling and falling and  _ falling _ . 

He had a feeling that Sam had noticed something, but surprisingly enough, he hadn’t said anything. He usually never hesitated to come forward and ask what was wrong, but it looked like he had decided to let Dan handle this one, at least as long as he didn't ask for his help. And he wanted to deal with this without Sam, for once, but the waiting around and the uncertainty were killing him, and he decided it was time for a bold move. He took his phone out and typed quickly, sending the text before he regretted it.

_ “Hey, I think I’d really like to meet you in person, if you’re okay with that.” _


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! It's a double update today as I wouldn't be able to post the epilogue next week and it felt wrong to let you wait for it, so there you go, it will be posted right after this chapter! I hope you'll like it!

Dan was annoyed with himself. He could feel himself getting nervous with every moment that passed, even though he knew there was nothing to be worried about. It was just Phil, who he’d talk to for hours day after day. The only difference was that he’d be in front of him this time, not just a voice down the phone. He looked at his phone, reading Phil’s text once more.

_ “Of course I’m okay with that! I’m excited. What about Friday evening? We could meet up for a coffee after work? If you don’t mind being outside, there’s a nice food truck that makes some great coffee in the botany park, next to the rose garden. What do you say?” _

Dan had earnestly agreed and they’d set a time to meet at the truck, time that was getting closer with every second, and Dan was having a hard time focusing on anything else than the clock when it was just a matter of hours before he saw Phil for the first time.

He’d told Sam about it, mostly because he was worried he’d lose his mind if someone wasn’t there to tell him to calm down, and he didn’t want to make Phil think he was regretting his decision. He wasn’t regretting it at all, he was just irrationally scared, thinking about everything that could possibly go wrong. He knew, logically, that probably nothing special would happen, good or bad. Sam had talked him through that. But he was a worrier, and didn’t know how he’d react on the off chance that Phil would decide he hated him.

He was pulled out of his thoughts by a file being dropped on his desk, and he smiled at his coworker like he didn’t see the annoyance in her eyes, and waited until she was out of view to let out a sigh. He’d better start actually working now, or he’d be in trouble. And maybe it would make time go by just slightly faster.

Three hours and thirty two minutes later, he was walking down the street, heart pounding a little harder with every step. There was a whirlwind of thoughts in his head - was he dressed correctly? did he remember the time right? what if he got lost and Phil didn’t want to wait for him? what if he stumbled on words once they’d be together and Phil realized he was even more annoying in person than he was over text? what if and what if and what if - and he wasn’t sure how his feet were still taking him forward when he wanted to curl up on the floor, but he was still walking until he finally saw the gate of the entrance to the park.

He took a deep breath, ignoring the blood pumping in his ears, and stepped inside.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in here, probably before he started at his job, a little over three years ago, when he still had some form of free time where he wasn’t agonizing over how guilty he felt for not working. He remembered where the rose garden was, though, it used to be one of his favourite places. There were a few people walking around, enjoying the nice weather and the birds singing, but Dan noticed a guy standing on the side and looking at the people walking by. From where he was, Dan could only see his black hair, but he felt like he recognized him, somehow, without being able to tell who he was. As he got closer, he realized in a flash that it was the guy from the café, who came to talk to him once. He thought about turning back, continue to look for Phil somewhere, but the guy had already seen him and was smiling at him, so he found himself walking over, once again getting lost in the blue of his eyes, that somehow seemed even brighter under the sun.

“Hi,” he smiled back, trying to focus on something else. “Didn’t expect to run into you here.”

“Me neither,” he assured. “I was just waiting for someone.”

“Me too! Guess they're both a bit late then?"”

He laughed, and Dan couldn't get over the way it lit up his whole face.

“I guess so. We can always wait for them together?”

“Sure,” Dan grinned again.

They chatted for a little while, Dan occasionally checking his phone to see if there was any news from Phil, but nothing. He was starting to get worried, so he sent a quick text asking where he was and if everything was okay. He barely registered café guy’s phone buzzing, until he saw him frown.

“Something wrong?”

“No it’s just- he’s saying he’s waiting for me but I haven’t seen anyone that could be him. I should go looking for him,” he smiled. “It was nice running into you, anyway. See you tomorrow then?”

“Yeah,” Dan smiled back. “I’ll be there. Good luck!”

He just laughed and walked away, and Dan glanced at his phone again. No reply. He was about to send another text when Phil’s name appeared on the call screen. 

“Hi?”

“Dan? Where are you?”

He frowned. “I’m at the rose garden, like we said. Where are you?”

“What? I was just there, are you sure- Hang on.” He paused. “You play the piano, right?”

“Yeah? What does that have to do with-?”

There was a kind of amusement in Phil’s voice when he spoke again.

“You wouldn’t happen to play at a café every Saturday morning, would you?”

“I do,” Dan said hesitantly. “How do you- oh.”

Realization hit suddenly, the reason why Phil’s voice had sounded so strangely familiar when they first talked on the phone. He felt like an idiot. He couldn’t hold back a laugh.

“Oh my god,” he said between fits of giggles. “All this time, that was you?”

“I can’t believe we never figured that out sooner,” Phil was laughing too. “We’re two idiots.”

“We really are.”

“I’ll be right back then, see you in a minute.”

Dan’s face felt a little too warm when he hung up. He couldn’t believe this. Sam would make fun of them for years after this. He saw Phil walking up to him, eyes still bright under the sun but also sparkling with something else, and he couldn’t hold in the smile growing on his face.

“Hi again,” Phil grinned. “Does this call for a hug?”

Dan chuckled. 

“I think it does,” he said, stepping into the embrace.

This felt… right, he thought, arms around Phil’s shoulders. Safe. He knew then that he really had no reason to worry about Phil suddenly hating him, and that he’d be just fine.

“So, how about that coffee?” he asked, smiling, after they stepped away from each other.

Phil’s hand was still in his.

*

“So,” Phil said when they had both gotten their drink. “That really was you all along, huh?”

Dan laughed. “Yeah, very sorry to disappoint.”

“That’s not what I said,” Phil smiled, lightly squeezing his hand. “Quite the opposite, really.”

Dan tried his best to hide the deep blush he could feel spreading across his face, but judging by the way Phil chuckled and wrapped his arm around his shoulders, he didn’t exactly succeed. He wasn’t sure he really minded.

They walked for a bit until deciding to settle on a bench in the rose garden. Dan told himself it was the flowers’ perfume that was making him light-headed, certainly not Phil right next to him. 

“You know, there’s something I never said,” Phil spoke up after a few seconds of silence, and Dan turned to look at him. “I was having pretty bad writer’s block a few months back, I couldn’t write a single sentence. So, eventually I decided that getting out of the house couldn’t do any harm, and I walked in this little café that I had been meaning to check out for a while. And, you  were there. At the piano. And, I don’t know, there’s something about the way you play, like it’s the only thing that matters at that exact moment. It’s… fascinating, watching you play. And inspiring. Writer’s block was gone after that, but I still came back every week, because I wanted to see you. Sorry, that sounds a bit creepy,” he laughed a little.

Dan smiled, a soft and fuzzy feeling comfortably settling in his chest. “No, it’s fine. I mean, I- I’m flattered, thank you.”

Phil shrugged, a small grin tugging at the corner of his lips and Dan had to make a conscious effort to look somewhere else.

“Just thought it would be fair for you to know how much you’ve helped me. That doesn’t mean you get a cut of the royalties though, sorry.”

Dan laughed, shaking his head. “I wasn’t counting on it, don’t worry. But, uh, you’ve helped me, too. A lot. I decided- I'm going to quit. I can't keep doing a job that just makes me feel miserable, I wouldn't last much longer before having a full meltdown."

"Really? That's awesome!" Phil was smiling wide and grabbed his hand in excitement. "I'm so proud of you! Do you know what you'll do next?" 

"I think I'll give a call to the music conservatory, I heard they're looking for a piano teacher and, lucky me, I've done a bit of teaching before working at the firm, so I can actually qualify for that."

"That's great news! I'm sure you'll do great. You deserve it." 

"Well, uh, I would never have dared to do it if you hadn't been there," he admitted. "So, thank you.”

“My pleasure, then,” Phil said, delicately lifting Dan’s hand and dropping a light kiss on his knuckles.

Dan tried to stop the warmth he felt blooming in his cheeks but failed, and Phil just laughed and put an arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer and placing a kiss to the side of his head.

If this was becoming their new dynamic, Dan really wasn’t opposed to it.


	5. Epilogue

There was a spring in Dan’s steps as he was walking up the stairs, mindlessly spinning his set of keys around his finger. He really needed to remember to take a scarf on Monday, it was pretty chilly outside and he could do without catching the cold that had Phil lying in bed for the most part of the previous week. Also, he really needed to set an alarm to remember his doctor’s appointment to finally discuss trying out medication to help manage his ADHD.

He unlocked the door, sighing contently at the welcoming warmth of the apartment. That was much better.

“I’m home,” he called out, quickly closing the door to keep the cold air outside.

“I thought I’d felt some Arctic wind coming in.”

Dan smiled and turned around, Phil’s expression mirroring his.

“Stop complaining,” he resisted the urge of sticking out his tongue.

“You’re in a good mood,” Phil noted, brushing his knuckles against his cheek.

Dan took his hand, interlacing their fingers. “I am. Tina nailed her piano contest, she got first place! She’s worked so much for it, she honestly deserved it. And she brought me chocolate as a thank you gift.”

He barely had the time to get the box out of his bag before Phil stole it from him, and he just laughed, protesting and trying to take it back from him, their hands still interlocked. They somehow ended up in an embrace, Phil’s hand holding his resting at their side while the one holding the chocolate box was behind Dan’s back, with both of Dan’s arms around his neck. They both let out a breathless laugh before Dan leaned in to kiss him, lips warm against his.

He took advantage of Phil having his eyes closed to swiftly take the box back from him, and Phil’s exclamation in betrayal only made him laugh again.

“Got you,” he said, triumphant, placing another kiss on his cheek.

“Okay, okay, I'll let you have them. You’ve earned them. You’ve done a great job, you’re an awesome teacher.”

Dan smiled. “How’s the book going?”

“Nearly finished, actually. I just want to go over it a few times and maybe tweak some last details before sending it to anyone for a second opinion.”

“Will you let me read it, then?” Dan asked, arching an eyebrow.

Phil had that mysterious smile he always had when they talked about this. “Maybe. If you’re nice.”

“Fuck off,” Dan laughed. “You’re not getting any chocolate then.”

“Oh no, poor me, what will I do?” Phil said, his arms around Dan’s shoulders again and pulling him just a little closer.

“You’re lucky I love you,” Dan said softly, giving in to the warmth in his chest.

Phil leaned in this time, and Dan was only starting to get used to how safe and right this felt. 

“I’m so proud of you,” Phil muttered when they moved away.

Dan kissed him again.

*

Later that night, they were both just about to fall asleep when the display on Dan’s phone changed from Friday, 23:59 to Saturday, 00:00, and Dan turned to face Phil.

“Happy six months,” he whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the end! Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it, this was quite a personal story to tell and, ironically, talking about ADHD sometimes made mine get worse than usual, but I’m glad and a little proud to have managed to make it to the end, and on time! Thank you again for reading and all the kind comments <3


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